


Moving Parts

by awaytobeunshaken



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27329824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awaytobeunshaken/pseuds/awaytobeunshaken
Summary: "Besides aren't you the one who spent the last two hours telling me pain isn't in your vocabulary?"What else did they discuss during those two hours?Contains spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery season 3 episode 2
Relationships: Hugh Culber/Paul Stamets, Jett Reno & Paul Stamets
Comments: 3
Kudos: 57





	Moving Parts

Paul eyed the reaction cube. Even disregarding the... mess, the thing had taken a beating. The glass was shattered in several places and the shunts would most likely need re-calibration. And considering what he could deduce had taken place there...

“Forget it, kid. We’re gonna need to focus on getting the regular engines online. I doubt either you or that thing are gonna be in a condition to move us anytime soon.”   


She was right, in the moment. But Paul still felt her dismissiveness unwarranted. They had crashed on a planet with multiple ships, but no dilithium. Something had changed; maybe he’d been right, and their use of the mineral had proved unsustainable. Still, it wasn’t the time for “I told you so”, so he latched onto the next best thing. “How many times do I have to tell you, we’re the same age?”

“Sorry,” Reno said, not sounding it at all. “When you go all dewy-eyed scientist it’s hard to tell.”

“Thank... you?”

“I’m assuming from the fact that you’re not arguing with my actual plan, that you agree. And since, as you said, we are the same age, I doubt you’re doing much better than I am, physically. Either way, no point sending anyone into the tubes until I have the kids check ‘em out and see what parts we need. For now I need help soldering these components.”

Paul picked up a tool and set to work. He hated the thought of letting her have the last word though. “For the record, though, I’m fine.”

“You just had a massive chest wound closed up, and I doubt it’s fully healed yet; that has to hurt.”

“Pain is not in my vocabulary.” Okay, maybe he wasn’t a hundred percent, but—he took a deep breath, carefully, managing to only flinch a little as his lungs expanded—yeah... fine.

“Well, you do seem to be feeling better than last time I saw you.” They worked in silence for a moment, much to Paul’s relief. It didn’t last. “So... he stayed.”

He did not want to be having this conversation. Not here, and certainly not with her; his personal life was hardly Jett Reno’s business. “Yeah. He did.” And since clearly some part of him disagreed with his previous assessment he continued, “Weren’t you the one telling me I needed to get over him, already?”

“Not in so many words. And I know it’s not that easy. I’m glad I was wrong, that you didn’t have to leave the person you love behind.” 

Something about the statement felt more personal than he’d come to expect from her. The sentiment made him a bit uncomfortable, but the words reminded him how close they’d come to losing each other forever, and he lost control of his next breath, visibly wincing as his chest expanded.

“You sure you’re okay?”

He nodded, gritting his teeth. “It’d be nice if I could sit down, but I’ll be fine.”

“Considering this is your workspace, I can only guess who’s responsible for the furniture situation.”

There was probably a crate or something in the cultivation bay that he could drag out and use as a stool, but that would be admitting defeat, so Paul clenched his teeth against the pain and set back to work. 


End file.
